More by Sharon McDonald, MEd, RD, LDN

View Transcript

- [Presenter] Single use gloves help keep food safe by creating a barrier between your hands and the food you are preparing.

They should be worn when you're handling any ready to eat food.

Single use gloves do not have to be worn if you are handling raw agricultural products, washing whole produce or if you are handling ready to eat ingredients that will be cooked to the correct internal temperature.

For example, if you are chopping peppers for a soup or casserole, you do not need to wear gloves.

If, however, those peppers will be ingredients in a salad, then you do need to wear gloves.

When buying gloves, consider the following.

Purchase only gloves approved for food service.

Buy single use gloves.

Do not wash or reuse gloves.

Purchase the appropriate glove for the task.

For example, longer gloves for mixing or even consider colored gloves as a way to prevent cross contamination.

Provide different sizes of gloves.

When putting on gloves it is important to do so correctly so as not to potentially contaminate the food you will be handling.

Here are the guidelines.

Wash your hands before putting on your gloves when starting a new task.

Be sure to choose the correct size and hold the gloves by the edge to avoid touching the glove as much as possible.

Once on, check for rips or tears.

Do not blow in your gloves or roll them to put them on.

Remember, your gloves can become contaminated.

If that happens, then the ready to eat food you are handling will become contaminated as well.

You will need to change your gloves as soon as they become dirty or torn before beginning a new task, after an interruption, such as taking a phone call or being called away to do another job, after handling raw meat, seafood or poultry and before handling ready to eat food, if you are doing the same task continuously for four hours.

Remember the intent of wearing gloves is to keep food safe so be sure to use gloves correctly so that food does not become contaminated.